Distracted

[Aimee Darkhart]

Aimee was trying to study, her legs hanging off the edge of the cliff and her transfiguration notebook open in her lap. But however hard she tried her neatly written notes blurred together, she just couldn't concentrate. She had come to the cliffs because they were quiet, because there was no one around to hiss insults in her ear about how she was 'useless' 'a freak' and 'such a dissapointment that her parents went running' and yet even without the jeering she still couldn't focus. Aimee yawned, rubbing her eyes. She hadn't slept much over the last few days and it was beginning to show, her normally pale skin was a sickly white and she had dark purple lines beneath her eyes. Closing her book with a sanp she tossed it aside. She couldn't do this, she couldn't keep acting like everything was normal, it was far from normal, she was virtually on the edge of an emotional breakdown and she was studing Transfiguration? 'What on earth is wrong with me?' se thought closing her eyes and she lay back her feet kicking as they dangled. The back of her head buried in the soft grass she began to mutter a song to herself. "If nothing is true, what more can I do? I am stil painting flowers for you!" She knew she sounded tone deaf but she was alone, she was allowed to sing in private.

Aimee wondered if anyone would miss her if she didn't turn up for class, she highly doubted it, Annalie wouldn't care, she would be glad to see the back of her. She wished she could stay up here forever, humming the days away until it all ended. Shaking her head she sat up she knew she couldn't but 'I can still dream'

Deciding to instead focus on her story, it was useless trying to try and study. She pulled her her journal out of her bag. Aimee knew she would be able to focus on it. I might of taken a morbid turn for the worst but it wasn't any less appealling to write it. Flipping it open she pulled out a quill and ink, pausing for a moment she let the silence surround her before lettinng the bowing her head and starting to write.

Out of Character:

Here you go Jassy, have fun

 

[Sia Riversend]

Sia wandered the cliffs aimlessly, driven to distraction by the thought of her family. Just not quite distracted enough to walk off the edge of the cliff. Other than that small and necessary restriction, her mind roamed as freely as her body. The diminutive girl Had often mused on her relatives: how on Earth did I end up in such a crazy, dysfunctional family? Honestly, it was a disgrace. Her sister Melodie had been near murdered by a Death Eater, her cousin Abathyn was a Death Eater, her Veela mother Alyca was an Auror, and her Muggle father was an alcoholic. At least her other cousin and best friend Eliza Beth wasn't in trouble too. Yet. Wherever Sia turned, another family member was having yet another disaster; no wonder it drove her to distraction. The Hufflepuff wanted to help her family, but she was desperately confused. Not knowing where to turn, she had fled the hectic school for the peace of the outdoors. Being outside always calmed Sia, and she had never been to this part of the grounds before. So she decided to explore. Sia found herself greatly enjoying the giddy height, the feel of the wind gently tangling her long blonde hair.

Walking slowly, picking her way along the clifftop, she spotted another girl. One who Sia thought she recognised.
"Aimee!" she called out, oblivious to the fact that the Slytherin didn't wish to be disturbed. Sia had met Aimee a couple of times before, and they'd gotten on well. But then, Sia, with her bubbly irrepressible personality, generally got on well with everybody. She was unaware of Aimee's current identity crisis, but observant enough to realise that the girl was unhappy. Sia sat down beside Aimee, carefully dangling her own legs over the dizzying drop.
"Hey," she said, "what's the matter?"

 

[Aimee Darkhart]

Aimee's head jerked up at the sound of her name, well if that was really her name. The world of her story dissolving around, sighing almost irratibly she noticed Sia. "Oh, hi Sia," she muttered closing her book and setting it down beside her. She had met Sia a couple of times and the girl had always made her laugh. Shuffling over she made room for Sia to sit down and she smiled weakly, "Oh, uh..." she mumbled unhelpfully and she felt the paranoia creep up around her. 'Stop it! You're being silly you can trust Sia!' Aimee hadn't truly been able to trust anyone lately, no one had given her any reason to. "Well... It's kind of a long story..." she said a feeling of deja vu suddenly appearing. Hadn't she just said this to one of her only friends Elspeth?

Aimee bit her lip and frowned "I'll... I'll tell you if you really want to know but its not a cheery tale, and" she paused taking Sia's hands in her own, "You can't tell anyone!" she cried, enough people knew thanks to Annalie, she had been telling everyone she saw, making the whole thing worse for Aimee. "Promise?" she asked.

 

[Sia Riversend]

"I've got time . . . Of course I promise!" Sia cried, trying desperately to reassure the worried-looking Slytherin. Everyone knew that Sia was trustworthy, and many people had confided their troubles to her during the Hufflepuff's years at Hogwarts. Everyone except Melodie. Pushing thoughts of her sister to the back of her head, Sia prepared to listen attentively to yet another person's troubles. Honestly, if Sia had been the telling kind, she could write an immense gossip column from all the truths she'd been told. But she wouldn't do that. Really. Sia had a good heart, although it irked her sometimes that no-one listened to her own problems.

The wind whistled longingly across the clifftops, as the two girls huddled together. One to tell, one to listen, both to learn.

 

[Aimee Darkhart]

Aimee smiled slightly and turned away from Sia, and peered off into the horizon. "Well, during one of many fights with Annalie, I yelled at her, calling her the worst sister in the world! She of course being her horrible self screamed out that 'there was no way that she could be the worst sister in the world because she doesn't have a sister, that I was just some poor child her parents took pity on. That my real mother took one look at me and ran for the hills.'" Aimee sniffed a single tear rolling down her cheek. Taking a deep breath Aimee continued "To make it all that little bit worse my "parents" tried to deny the whole thing, saying that Annalie was just angry and was trying to hurt me, thinking I was stupid enough to believe them. They lied straight to my face!" Aimee buried her head in her hands her shoulders shaking, "I guess I always knew, all the tell tale signs were there I guess I just didn't want to believe it, not the first time I guess..." She sniffed and tried desperately to stop crying. She hated showing such a weakness. Smearing the tears away she looked up at Sia "See not cheery at all..." she hiccuped wiping her nose on her sleve and meeting Sia's eyes. Even though she trusted the Hufflepuff she did feel a touch of aprehension towards what she thought of her dramatic tale.

 

[Sia Riversend]

Sia frowned. It did all sound rather melodramatic. But then, she knew all about melodramatic family problems, didn't she? It was always best to be sympathetic. Despite the fact that Sia rather suspected Aimee's parents had denied the allegation because it wasn't true. She had had firsthand experience of the nasty things even mature adults say to each other when they're furious; how much easier it would be to slip into that behaviour for a young girl. Teenage girls, especially, could be absolute female dogs.

Nevertheless, Sia kept a straight face. "That's terrible! But . . . are you sure Annalie was right?" The Hufflepuff knew she was breaking many unspoken taboos in saying this, but perhaps it was possible that Aimee had overlooked the possibility in her distraught state. . .

 

[Aimee Darkhart]

Aimee frowned confused, did she not make herself clear, "Of course she was right. Do you think I would make this up? Do you think that Annalie would make this up?" she asked still not breaking eye contact with Sia. Aimee was stunned that Sia, who she thought was her friend didn't believe her. "Besides my 'parents' finally confessed. Saying they were 'so terribly sorry that I had to find out this way, that they were going to tell me when it was the right time!'" she cried sighing, "But to perfectly honest I think after I had the tumor removed would be the best time to tell me. My world was already torn apart with the loss of my only bestest friend Alaina, what was another emotional blow on top of that?" she asked sadly. She couldn't remember if she had told Sia about the cancerous brain tumor that was removed when she was 8, that she was in remission, praying everynight that it wouldn't return. "I also...I also want to find my true parents... D-do you think its a good idea?" she asked quietly.

 

[Sia Riversend]

"I'm sorry!" Sia exclaimed, mortified at her friend's reaction. "I just thought that maybe . . . you know the things people say when they loose their temper . . ." She trailed off sadly, thinking back to the old tantrums she'd thrown, insisting that Alyca couldn't possibly be her real mother because she'd been sooo cruel and forbidden her from having icecream. Life had been so simple back then. She was unaware of the tumour, and stored the information at the back of her mind for future reference. It was obviously irrelevant right now.
"Yes!" Sia replied to Aimee's question, thinking of Melodie, who hadn't tried to find her parents. Believing they were dead when they weren't. "I definitely think you should try . . . do you have any information about them?"

 

[Aimee Darkhart]

Aimee put a comforting arm around Sia's slight shoulders "No I'm sorry, I shouldn't of snapped at you, that wasn't fair. I guess I was a bit angry..." she sighed and smiled at her friend relieved that she agreed with the idea of finding her real parents. She was nervous just thinking about it, thinking about contacting the people that gave her up so long ago. "Not as such," she repied to Sia's question, "I was planning on writing my 'mother' a letter asking if i could know, it will also be a letter of appology, we didn't exactly part on good terms when I arrived back here, I wouldn't be suprised if she banned me from ever contacting them." Aimee hoped she would let her though, and she wanted Sia's help in doing so.

 

[Sia Riversend]

"That sounds like a good idea," Sia agreed, accepting Aimee's arm around her shoulder. "You'll have to be careful with the letter . . . sounds like you and your 'mother' didn't part on the best of terms." What is it with families and disasterous relationships? She wondered. Certainly every friend and family member of Sia's had big problems with their families. So much melodrama . . . it sounded like something fictional. And they all seemed to come to Sia for comfort. Perhaps something about the innocuous Hufflepuff inspired confidence. Something of the Veela in her blood? Maybe I should become a councellor when I leave school.